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Kindergarten or ‘Kindy’ (3-6 years)

The classrooms have a calm and quiet atmosphere which supports good creative play. This play is used well to promote learning and development and good use is made of stories. The children are polite and respect one another.

The children are very confident and capable. They organise their play well. Their behaviour is generally good and they show consideration for one another.

Daily routines encourage good behaviour, a sense of security and children’s confidence

They treat children as individuals and seek to support their learning and development unobtrusively, using the class routines and procedures to emphasise the high value they place upon individuals. This enables them to match the work to individual children’s needs, so enabling them to make progress. In turn, this is supported by the parents.

From SIS Report May 2012

The young child between the ages of 3 and 6 years loves to imitate the adults around her and this healthy imitation is recognised by the Waldorf Kindergarten teacher as the focus for the child’s learning during these early years. The young child, as she grows into her body, lives particularly in her will activity and learns enthusiastically through doing.

A clear daily and weekly rhythm blending into the wider rhythms of Festivals and Seasons brings a sense of belonging and security to each child;

Each morning when the children arrive they are invited to join the activity of the day. This may be painting, craft, bread making, or drawing.

Alongside this activity children are free to play (facilitated but not led by the teacher).

Then the children all help to tidy up.

This is followed by circle time, in which the teacher leads the children in an activity which can include poetry, music, movement, and singing.

After circle time, the children and teachers enjoy a snack which they have prepared together earlier.

Then the children play outside for an hour.

The morning usually ends with story-time around a lighted candle before the children greet their parents.

We strive for a warm, homely atmosphere in the Kindergartens, and natural rather than synthetic materials are chosen for the children’s play and use.

The environment created in the kindergarten is as far as possible a beautiful one, within which the children can explore the richness of their own imagination.

It is for this reason that finished or mechanical toys are perceived as inappropriate, and the use of tape recorded or televised material is counter-productive to the healthy imitation we wish to foster in the children.